If it can’t be eliminated, then think of ways to create an outlet for that stress…. see above example of exercise!

SLEEP:

Getting enough sleep each night allows you to recover and perform better during the day. Make bedtime a routine, get to bed on time, wind down at night, make your room conducive to good quality sleep – dark room, cool temperature, no electronics 2 hours before bed, etc.

Social/relationships:

A part of creating that dream life might be having more friends or spending more time with loved ones. It might include finding a significant other if you don’t have one now. Those are all good goals! However, like other goals, you have to take steps to achieve it! That means meeting more people, say yes to hanging out with friends, host a few parties a year, use a dating app whether that be for finding more friends or more. Take action to change that aspect of your life.

With all these examples, and we could of course list more, pick 3 things to work on this week. Write them down and schedule them – DAY and TIME! Put them in your calendar and make it happen. Once those 3 new habits become routine – meaning you don’t have to think about them, pick 3 more to incorporate, etc. Keep this pattern going until before you know it those few baby steps add up to creating the dream picture in your head.

Don’t forget to reward yourself along the way! These are a few of my favorite (non-food based) ways to reward myself for hitting one of my short-term goals.

Next you have to track your progress. I like to do this with a journal. You don’t have to make long entries just get something on paper every now and then. This will help you take stock and reflect on your journey. You can also record multiple measurements of progress with journal entries from body weight, digestive symptoms as they appear and resolve, energy levels, attitude, mood, self-confidence, pictures, work out times or weights, and much more. You can also record times when you think you have ‘failed’ and learn from those experiences. You can read your own words and remember how it felt when you made that ‘less than optimal’ choice last time.

Last, but not least, write what you are grateful for. Whether you are thrilled with your progress or frustrated during a plateau there is ALWAYS something for which you can be grateful!

Your body is full of trillions of bacteria, viruses and fungi. They are collectively known as the microbiome.

While some bacteria are associated with disease, others are extremely important for your immune system, heart, weight and many other aspects of health.

As you grow, your gut microbiome begins to diversify, meaning it starts to contain many different types of microbial species. Higher microbiome diversity is considered good for your health.

Interestingly, the food you eat affects the diversity of your gut bacteria.

Upset stomach, craving foods high in sugar, lots of weight fluctuations, sleep disturbances and chronic fatigue, skin irritation, and autoimmune conditions can all be signs that you may need to be spending more time improving your gut health.

Here are some easy ways to make your gut a little healthier:

Sleep

Poor quality of sleep or not enough sleep can have serious impacts on your gut health, which can contribute to more sleep issues. A good rule is 7-8 hours a sleep a night, or something that makes you feel good. If you have a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep but don’t want to take any prescription sleep medications, an all-natural supplement called “SLEEP”, formulated by BalanceDocs, is a perfect option to give you that undisturbed rest you desire without the hangover feeling after

Stay Hydrated

Drinking plenty of water has been shown to have a beneficial effect on the mucosal lining of the intestines, as well as on the balance of good bacteria in the gut. Staying hydrated is the simplest and most important way to increase your gut health. Looking for an extra way to get your weekly hydration in? Try an IV infusion with vitamins, you will never feel better!

Change your Diet

Diet is a huge factor when it comes to the health of our gut. When we eat poorly, we notice our weight changes, our clothes don’t fit as well, and our energy is lower. We rarely think about the consequences our gut and digestive health is experiencing. Eliminating processed, high-sugar, and high-fat foods that you eat can contribute to better gut health. Also, eating plenty of plant-based foods and lean protein can positively impact your gut. Another important factor is increasing the amount of fiber in your diet!

Manage your stress

Stress: a culprit and root cause of so many disease and illness. Evaluate any disease process in the world and stress will be one of the top ten contributing factors in almost every single one of them. Ironically, it is one of the areas people tend to ignore the most – thinking that if they can work on all the other areas of their life enough, stress won’t get them! Unfortunately, it does, and it will. Stress affects nearly every system in our body, including your gut. If you are looking to lower your stress, experiment with meditation, walking, getting a massage, spending time with friends or family, diffusing essential oils, decreasing caffeine intake, laughing, yoga, or having a pet.

Take a probiotic

Adding a probiotic supplement to your diet may be a great way to improve your gut health. Not all probiotic supplements are high quality or will actually provide benefit. It’s best to consult your healthcare provider when choosing a probiotic or prebiotic supplement to ensure the best health benefit. Our top pick is the Integrative Therapeutics Probiotic Pearls.

Hormones are the ultimate chemical messengers, constantly communicating information to every area of our body, adapting, and responding to our many complex needs. Produced by our endocrine glands—adrenals, thyroid, pancreas and ovaries or testes—hormones execute essential functions, relay important warnings, and communicate constantly. Essentially, they assure everything is running smoothly. However, due to stress, changes in health, age, environmental factors, disease, prescription drugs, diet, and many other factors, our specific hormone levels and function can be easily thrown off balance.

Many people go years thinking their symptoms are just part of “a busy life” or stress. Stress can make you feel bad, but what you may not know is that, over time, chronic stress process can cause your hormones to be thrown off course. This hormone imbalance is the underlying cause of many symptoms, and often will need proper testing, evaluation, and treatment to restore normal levels.

Identifying and correcting these levels early helps maintain health, energy, longevity, and prevents the onset of chronic disease.

Here are the top 5 common signs and symptoms of hormonal imbalances:

Weight gain, and weight fluctuations

Research shows that hypothyroidism, or low-thyroid function, affects one in five women and one in ten men, and that is suspected to be an underestimation. Unfortunately, this condition isn’t diagnosed in over half of these cases. The thyroid hormone affects practically every cell in the body and regulates our entire metabolic rate. Therefore, excess weight can often point to a slow and underactive thyroid gland, which in turn has caused all metabolic processes to slow down.

In addition, if Cortisol is constantly elevated (seen in many people with stress), in efforts to keep you going, cortisol will directly impact your blood sugar levels by signaling your body to consume more calories and store more fat. Insulin, another weight hormone influencer, regulates your blood sugar levels by being secreted in response to glucose (the basic “sugar” compound). Having too much estrogen or not enough progesterone can also be the driving force behind weight gain. These are just a few examples of how hormones change the body, which become pretty complex – as you can see.

The reality is, many women struggle… despite cutting back on certain foods, working out, doing “everything they should be doing” or even “working twice as hard” to see a small budge. If you find yourself in that category, it may be time to seek out answers and see one of our Peak Medical Providers for labs and thorough evaluation, and treatment options.

Insomnia, persisting fatigue, or BOTH

There are many reasons why someone may be having difficulty sleeping. But if it’s persistent, it’s likely related to your hormones. In addition, people with hormonal imbalances often experience extreme fatigue. Everyone is tired sometimes, but with adequate rest, hydration, and a balanced diet, the fatigue should subside.

If you feel like you are sleeping adequate amounts or maybe even sleeping too much and can’t seem to shake the constant feeling of exhaustion, you may consider having a comprehensive evaluation of your hormone levels. The fatigue could be associated with your hormones. Adrenal fatigue and hypothyroidism are more prevalent in our fast-paced society than you may think.

Skin and hair changes

The quality and vitality of your skin and hair is directly related to your hormones. Think of your body as a symphony and your hormones as the instruments. Those instruments, your hormones, must play together in sync in order to have a glowing complexion. When even one is off balance, you can begin developing skin problems such as dryness, acne, fine lines, wrinkles, and rosacea. Thyroid abnormalities, for example, may cause dry hair or skin, thinning hair, hair loss or brittle nails.

Low sex drive

It’s no secret that your levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone naturally decline with age, especially during and after menopause. But did you know that they can also be too low or too high for both men and women, and can affect people of all ages? Low levels of estrogen, for example, can have a big impact on your sex drive. You may experience vaginal dryness that can lead to painful intercourse and you may have unstable mood and sleep patterns. Testosterone also is a big factor in libido. Primarily thought of as a male hormone, it is also made by, and just as important to women. Testosterone levels naturally decline in women after menopause, low levels can contribute to the reduction of arousal and sexual response. Progesterone can also have a big impact on your drive and should be evaluated when detecting hormonal imbalances.

Anxiety

Chronic stress has become an epidemic in today’s society. We are exposed to more information than ever before. Excess adrenal stimulation is what we are gaining from this constant overload of stress. Neuroendocrinology is the study of the close relationship between neurotransmitters and hormones, including those produced by the adrenal glands. What you may not know is that, cortisol and norepinephrine, produced and released by the adrenal glands, often underlie the feelings that you may perceive as anxiety. So what many perceive as anxiety and as being all “in their head”, may be an endocrine imbalance. Many people may want a quick fix with an anti-anxiety prescription. They can go a long time without ever exploring if there is another underlying problem that could be treated, all while tackling a new set of problems from medication side effects. Anxiety does not always go hand in hand with a hormone imbalance, but is a top symptom of an imbalance and should be evaluated, especially if other hormonal imbalance symptoms are present.

Our Peak Medical Clinic providers can help you to understand and resolve these imbalances. Hormone management is a delicate and complex matter. Ensuring you are getting tested, evaluated, and treated by a specialized provider can be a big game-changer to your quality of life. Our providers understand hormone imbalance is multifaceted and that thorough evaluation, along with the use of teaching/educating, labs/tests, proper diet, supplements, and natural therapies, should be offered to optimize maximum health and healing. To learn more about our clinics, services, and providers visit us at https://www.peakmedicalclinic.com/ Wishing you health, balance, and vitality!

TOP TEN SIGNS YOU MAY HAVE HYPOTHROIDISM

Plus the Resources to Get You Balanced

At any given time, one can experience a down-turn in our primary metabolism gland known as the thyroid. There are numerous problems related to the endocrine system and many problems related to the thyroid gland. Let’s talk about one of the most common problems– hypothyroidism.

When I was in nursing schooland learning about the complex endocrine system, one of my most knowledgeable and educated professors, Dr. H, said that a simple way to start understanding the basic concept of the thyroid, whether that be hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, is to think of the work thyroid as “energy!” Therefore, hypothyroid would equal not enough metabolic energy, and hyperthyroid would mean too much metabolic energy.

There are numerous problems related to the endocrine system and many problems related to the thyroid gland. Let’s talk about one of the most common problems– hypothyroidism.

The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland situated at the base of the front of your neck.

Though this gland is small, it is extremely powerful. The hormones produced by the thyroid gland have an ENORMOUS impact on your health, essentially affecting all aspects of your metabolism (your energy). For example, they maintain the rate at which your body uses calories, help regulate thermogenesis, affect your heart rate, control inflammation, movement, stamina, brain function, heart health, weight control, mood, immunity, and digestion.

Here are the top 10 most common most common signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism:

1. Fatigue

One of the most common symptoms of hypothyroidism is feeling completely worn out. Thyroid hormone controls energy balance and can influence whether you feel ready to take on the world, or take another nap. A classic sign of low thyroid is “hitting the wall” in the afternoon.

2. Weight gain

Hypothyroidism hits the trifecta in regard to weight gain. It signals the body store more calories, burn fewer calories, and send signals to the brain to eat more. Not exactly the roadblock we need when trying to get ready for a wedding, loose that baby weight, or drop those last stubborn pounds.

3. Constipation

In the most simple of explanations– it puts a brake on your colon. Constipation has numerous causes and the majority of people who have constipation don’t have hypothyroidism. However, if you are noticing several of these signs and symptoms relate to you it, would be a good idea to start thinking about the next step to take for hormone evaluation.

4. Feeling cold

This may be very noticeable or discrete at first, and get worse as time goes on. Your basal metabolic rate is the number of calories to keep your body functioning at rest (meaning how many calories we are burning at rest). With hypothyroidism your BMR is lowered, therefore you produce less heat and are more sensitive to the cold.

5. Thinning hair

Just when you thought this little gland couldn’t be responsible for any more, it turns out your hair (yes the hair you spend money and countless energy dry-barring, styling, and dyeing) is being effected by your thyroid too.

Hair follicle cells are rapidly growing and these cells are regulated by thyroid hormone. When the thyroid is under-active is causes hair follicles to stop regenerating. What’s worse? Studies have shown many people who have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism that presented with hair loss also had developed coarse hair.

6. Pain/Swelling of the joints & Puffy Eyes

Fluid retention, especially in regard to the face, is very common. So is pain and swelling of the joints – with no good explanation for the pain.

7. Feeling depressed & lack of motivation

Hormone fluctuations in postpartum women can be linked to be a common cause of hypothyroidism, which could potentially be a contributing factor to postpartum depression experienced in many women.

Whether depression is caused, magnified, or unrelated to the thyroid, is a very serious and a good reason to seek out help from a friend, therapist, physician, or practitioner. The practice of yoga and mindfulness are great ways to help increase feelings of well-being and give yourself time to relax and restore the busy mind from the overload of stress, chaos, and the never ending to do list stored in our iPhone notes also.

8. Dry Skin

Skin cells are similar to hair follicle cells when it comes to their short lifespan. They are sensitive to loosing growth signals from the thyroid. Skin problems can be attributed to so many things with the amount of sensitivities people are developing with the dangerous rise in thousands of new products with toxic ingredients hitting the market every year. For this reason, blood work is crucial in hormone testing and treatment, and could even help you rule out an ongoing skin problem in the end.

9. Muscle weakness

Catabolism is a condition where your body is starting to break down vital body tissues, such as muscle, to provide more energy for the body. When your metabolism is slowed down enough, as in an under-active thyroid, your body starts to panic and adjusts by switching from metabolism to catabolism. This process can be painful and give your muscle aches while decreasing your overall sense of physical well-being. Sounds fun, right?

10. Altered or impaired memory: Brain Fog

Mental fog and a reduction in the ability to concentrate with clarity is a common side effect. It’s important to remember difficulty concentrating can be attributed to countless things and can happen to everyone at certain times for no medical reason at all. That being said, it is an important and common presentation of thyroid problems and should be addressed as a top sign and symptom to be aware of.

It is very important to understand the signs and symptoms vary widely on the severity, progressions, and specific type of thyroid issue you may have. The down-regulation of the thyroid can develop slowly over several years, and may not always be noticeable.

Many people may attribute these symptoms to stress in their life or part of the “normal aging process” without knowing what is really causing significant symptoms that often require other medications to fix. Another surprising fact is that women are eight times more likely to develop a thyroid disorder than men, and are particularly prone to thyroid issues.

So what can I do?

Today we discussed one of many hormone issues women and men can experience throughout their lifetime. If you or someone you know may be experiencing multiple symptoms listed above, or is just not feeling their absolute best, don’t shrug it off and think the symptoms are “just the way it is.” This imbalance in the thyroid can be easily detected with a simple blood test looking at the entire hormone profile to insure all levels are in the perfect balance.

At Peak we offer comprehensive hormone testing and intensive analysis of symptoms. With this information, our hormone experts will create a treatment program aimed at fixing deficiencies and re-establishing the correct balance between male and female hormones, thyroid, brain chemicals, gut health and adrenal-stress glands, using the most natural and individualized approach possible.

At Peak Medical, it’s our mission to help you resolve your nagging symptoms and to help you age better, with less age-related problems. We are dedicated to helping you live your best life and to creating a personal plan just for you. Let us help you save precious time and energy by giving you the tools to change your life—and most likely the lives of those around you. Good luck on your journey to wellness wherever it may take you. The best is really yet to come!

This is one of the most important things you can do to turn the tide on fatigue. Start today and get out there for 20 minutes to wake up your body. The problem with us today is that we work our brains all week long and then forget to work out body-which leaves us feeling wiped out. There must be a balance between our brains and our body – which can only happen when you are moving your body daily and working up to a sweat.

Stimulating your heart with exercise oxygenates your blood and gives every organ in your body the boost it needs to feel invigorated. It also has the added benefit of clearing your mind, creating less “mental heaviness” and helps to balance your stress hormones and insulin levels –both of which can create fatigue if off kilter.

Try the 10-minute rule. Make a special deal with yourself and move your body for 10 minutes instead of plopping down to watch TV to relax. If you want to quit after 10 minutes you can but chances are once you start you will be able to lay down 30 minutes, no problem! Another option might be to just walk around the block when you are wiped out. Walking is particularly helpful for energy and clearing the mind and good for those who are experiencing back pain. A recent study on the effects of 10 minutes of walking revealed that it not only increased energy, but the effects lasted for 2 additional hours afterwards.

Lift weights, do Yoga, or try my favorite combination –DAILY sit-ups, push-ups, and lunges in 3 sets. These simple exercises work the entire body and really do re-shape you, keep you from losing muscle mass with age (real energy-zapper) and keep you looking lean and fit!

Take a POWER NAP – close your office door, slip out to your car or drop down on the couch for a quick power nap. These cat naps will help boost your mood, memory, lower stress levels, and increase productivity. Take a smart nap and aim to get the nap in before 2pm, and make it for 20 min or less.

Clean up your SLEEP patterns.

Get to sleep before 11pm (you make essential hormones starting at 11pm – that you can’t miss out on)

Aim for 9 hours nightly – with stress you will need more sleep

Take a STRESS PM supplement to “turn off your brain” and get to sleep and stay asleep. Click here to order STRESS PM. and get your Cortisol rhythms back in sync.

Keep the room pitch dark – even covering up the red numbers on your alarm clock

Keep the room cool- 68 degrees

Keep your cell phone away from your head and silenced.

Kick out the animals and do not let them interrupt your sleep!

Don’t use the computer before sleeping (the light and stimulation of material you are reading sends up stress hormone levels and wakes your brain up)

Take a natural SLEEP –brain supplement to aid in deep –restful sleep that will help you wake up refreshed and rejuvenated – click here to order SLEEP

Ten Days & Nights to the Best Sleep of Your Life

10 Nights of Sleep…

Day 1. Set your internal clock, and leave it alone!
Ever wonder why you can hardly pull yourself out of bed each Monday morning, after sleeping in on the weekends? Constantly readjusting your nightly sleeping and waking time makes it harder sleep soundly and makes you more tired over the long run. Create a habit of going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, even on the weekends.

Day 2: Eat for sleep
What you eat really does affect how you sleep. Food is the most potent drug you put in your body every day. Adjusting what you eat prior to bedtime will help you settle down and prevent revving you up. The goal is to keep your blood sugar stable and boost brain chemicals like tryptophan to slow down brain traffic.

Guidelines for food intake before bed:

Avoid big meals and high fat foods: Make dinnertime as early in the evening as possible, and avoid rich, heavy foods close to bedtime. Heavy and high fat foods are hard to digest and may interfere with sleep. This goes for you all you late night ice cream eaters! And, avoid eating spicy or acidic foods right before bedtime, as they can cause heartburn, which may also disrupt your sleep.

Avoid sugar: Sugar prompts the brain to release cortisol—a stress hormone that causes blood sugar fluctuations— which can wake you up at night.

Incorporate some good foods: Include slow-burning carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes, berries, and high-fiber crackers with cheese with dinner or as a snack a couple of hours before bed. Try foods that directly boost serotonin, such as turkey, chicken, seafood, soybeans, and yogurt.If you toss and turn before going to sleep, you may need a boost in your serotonin or melatonin levels. Consider adding RebalanceSLEEP – a natural supplement geared towards enhancing the sleep brain chemicals for a natural deep and restful sleep; that doesn’t leave you feeling hung-over and exhausted – to order (click here to order Rebalance Sleep).If you go to sleep easily, but wake up a few hours later, you most likely are experiencing blood sugar fluctuations. Try a high protein snack to maintain your blood sugar throughout the night. Good options include a cube of cheese, a spoonful of peanut butter, or a handful of walnuts.If you can’t seem to settle down and need to relax before bedtime, you may benefit from a boost of magnesium. Try a half of an apple with almond butter or spinach, kale, or other green leafy veggies topped with feta cheese and pine nuts. Other options include: a handful of nuts; a small bowl of beans with cheese; bell peppers or celery with hummus; or a banana with peanut butter.

Day 3: Drink for sleep

Avoid alcohol three to four hours before bedtime: Contrary to popular belief, alcohol interrupts the depth of sleep and makes you restless. While you may fall asleep easier, you most likely will not sleep well. Drinking also leads to snoring, which restricts airflow to the lungs and reduces oxygen in the bloodstream. Reduced oxygen will prolong the effects of alcohol and further disrupt your sleep.

Cut down on caffeine: As you get older, your liver loses its ability to rapidly eliminate caffeine from the body. This means that while you might not feel the effects of caffeine, it can still affect your sleep. Caffeine also acts as a diuretic, creating the need for more frequent nighttime trips to the bathroom. Consider avoiding any caffeinated food or beverages after noontime each day.

Drink in bulk and you will pee in bulk: By drinking your liquids earlier in the evening and drinking more at one time, you will eliminate them sooner. Instead of drinking liquids throughout the evening, drink plenty early on and taper off within an hour or two before bed. You’ll reduce or eliminate the need to wake up and go to the bathroom during the night.

Drinking calming teas like chamomile and lavender after dinner may also help with many types of sleep troubles.

Day 4: Make your room a sanctuary

Keep it cool: A cool, dark bedroom with good ventilation is best for promoting deep sleep. Keep the temperature at around 65 degrees F, so that your feet are warm and your head is cool. Even the smallest amount of light in the room—from a nightlight or alarm clock—can increase cortisol levels and interrupt sleep. Block out all light, using an eye mask if needed. If you need to get up during the night, avoid turning on the lights, if possible, to keep from stimulating the brain and alerting the “awake hormones” that tell your brain it’s time to wake up.

Love your bed: Make sure your bed is inviting and comfortable for you. Experiment with different sheets, covers, pillows, and mattresses if needed. Get comfy. You should look forward to getting in bed.

Reduce the noise: While people differ in their sensitivity to noise, most will sleep much better in a very quiet room with the least amount of disturbance (including pets). If barking dogs, traffic outside, loud neighbors, or other people in your home plague you, consider earplugs or a white-noise machine to block out the excess noise.

Clean it up: This is a place for you to rest, recover, and renew. If your room is filled with clutter, you will not feel as calm as you should. Clean up the stacks of papers, put away the clothes, and make sure your room feels tidy, safe, and comfortable. The last thing you need before going to sleep is to worry about how much you have to do and what a mess your life is.

Day 5: Shut it down
Do you find that you are unable to sleep after a stressful day because your brain just will not turn off? This is because your body is producing excess stress hormones that are telling your brain it’s time to wake up! One of the worst habits you can get into is working yourself into bed. This means running around like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to get it all done before bed, throwing yourself into bed, and expecting to sleep. You wouldn’t think of running your children around the house, winding them up before bedtime, and expecting them to go to sleep. The same goes for you. To prevent the frenzy before bed, develop a ritual that will help your nervous system downshift and convince your brain that it is time to go to sleep. Consider breaking a poor sleep cycle as quickly as possible by giving your brain what it needs now. Incorporate the RebalanceSLEEP supplement – and get to sleep quickly and stay asleep, correcting the poor sleep pattern quickly! (click here to order Rebalance Sleep).

Keep a journal on your nightstand and write down things you need to remember

Listen to a relaxation tape before bed

Focus on the feelings in your body, rather than the thoughts in your head. Focus on your breath. By making relaxation your intent rather than sleep, you will take the pressure off. Try relaxing every part of your body, starting with your toes and going all the way up to the top of your head. Really relax, stay calm, and sleep will follow.

Day 6: Take a nap

Responsible napping can help you get through a particularly stressful day or help you recover over the weekend. Incorporate a nap ritual into your day to help you cope with your hurried lifestyle. Just make sure you keep your naps short and sweet, fifteen to twenty minutes at the most. Set an alarm clock for good measure.

Get your naps in before 4:00 pm. Napping too late may interfere with your nighttime sleep and upset your rhythms. If you have chronic issues with getting to sleep, napping may make the problem worse. Naps can help you recover, but they can also rob you of your “sleep drive,” so take them only when necessary and early in the day. Avoid unintentional napping, such as falling asleep on the couch or in front of the TV.

Day 7: Move your body

Daily exercise and body movement are crucial for optimal sleep, optimal energy, and optimal relaxation. Numerous studies have pointed to the positive effects of exercise for stress reduction, relaxation, and maintaining balance between your overworked head and your underworked body.

According to the Mayo Clinic, most people with insomnia have increased levels of stress hormones in their blood caused by over-arousal and over-stimulation, which throws their nervous systems into hyper-drive. The higher your stress hormone levels, the more susceptible you are to insomnia.

Exercise and body movement work to calm the stress response. Exercise works to keep your body in balance with your brain and your stress glands (adrenals). It has literally hundreds of benefits, which you can experience with even a simple exercise, such as a ten or twenty minute walk daily.

The timing of your exercise is important for alleviating sleep problems. The initial effect of exercise is to rev up your system, followed several hours later by a calming and relaxing effect. If you exercise too close to bedtime, you may become over-stimulated and too awake to sleep.

Yoga is one of the best forms of exercise you can do when you’re feeling too busy, toxic, stressed, and half out-of-your-mind. Practicing yoga has many positive benefits for your mind and body and can help you:

Achieve true relaxation

Restore a burned out nervous system

Give you a new perspective on your life

Bring you back into your body, giving you a more internal and less external focus

Keep your stress response tamed and under perfect control

Stay younger as you age

Consider practicing yoga a few times a week. Get a book on yoga poses and practice them prior to bedtime to keep you limber, calm, and relaxed.

Day 8: Breathe your way into dreamland

Just as exercise is necessary to maintain the connection and balance between the body and the brain, breathing is necessary to maintain the connection and balance between your body and your soul.

Breathing is something that most of us take for granted. Deep breathing is something we rarely think to do, going days, weeks, or even months without a deep cleansing breath. Seldom do we think about breathing as a tool to restore calmness, get our minds, bodies, and souls connected, and to help us sleep.

Focused, cleansing breaths allow you time to visualize. With each inhale; think about taking in love, light, calmness, and happiness. With each exhale; visualize letting go of anxiousness, anger, irritability, and sadness.

Work on your breath during the day; four periods of breathing can make the difference in moderating your stress response and getting you out of hyper-drive. It can also help quiet your mind, relax your body, and renew your soul. It can take you quickly out of the external and into yourself. In today’s hectic world, something as simple as breathing can provide much needed relief.

Practice deep breathing. Take four cleansing breaths: breathe in slowly to a count of four to six. Hold for six to eight counts. Exhale slowly to a count of six to eight, blowing all of your air out. Try using the Lion’s Breath technique: When you exhale, open your mouth, stick out your tongue, and blow out your breath with a loud “ahhhh” sound, letting it all out. Lion’s Breath is very effective at lowering stress hormones, and it has a very calming affect. Try it if you find yourself awake in the middle of the night, but it is most beneficial if practiced regularly.

Breathe in bed before sleep. Breath in and out deeply and slowly, counting backward from fifty. Make your inhalations odd numbers and your exhalations even numbers. To begin, take a deep breath in, and exhale saying to yourself “fifty.” Inhale and say to yourself “forty-nine.” And so on. Stay with it, counting backward to zero without taking your focus off your breathing. If you lose count, start over (this will keep you focused on your breathing). Most likely you will be fast asleep or nearly so by the time you reach zero.

Day 9: Beware of sleep-robbing medications that can create sleep problems

Due to their stimulating effects, many medications and supplements should not be taken prior to bedtime. Many patients with sleep-related problems are unknowingly taking medications or supplements that actually cause sleeplessness. It is imperative that you find out if any of your medications or supplements are contributing to your sleep problems, even when taken during the day. Be aware that caffeine is a drug that can stay in your system for up to ten hours and interfere with sleep. This includes the caffeine in chocolate.

If you take any of the following medications and are having sleep disruptions, talk to your medical provider or pharmacist about taking them at a different time of day, and find out what other options might be available. (Do not stop any medications without consulting your medical practitioner first.)

Oral contraceptives

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), including antidepressants such as Prozac and Zoloft

Dopamine agonists, including some medications for Parkinson’s disease

Psychostimulants and amphetamines

Anticonvulsants

Cold medicines

Decongestants

Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine

Cortisone and Adrenocorticotropin

Beta agonists

Theophylline

Medications to lower blood pressure (alpha agonists, beta blockers)

Lipid and cholesterol-lowering agents (statins)

Diuretics

Appetite suppressants

Caffeine

Day 10: Blame it on your hormones

Hormone imbalance can cause insomnia and wakefulness. It can cause your mind to race at night and make you feel exhausted during the day.

Consider getting a full hormone panel, whether you’re male or female, regardless of your age. Insist on seeing a certified hormone specialist who knows what to look for, and who won’t dismiss your concerns in spite of your appearing to be “normal.” Ideal hormone ranges vary widely from person to person, and it is vital that your practitioner work with you to determine the optimal range for you. This will often be in the mid to upper end of the normal range for most levels.

Hormones should be tested after fasting, with no medication or supplements taken the day of testing. For women who are cycling, blood should be drawn at least 16 days after the first day of your last period, no matter how long ago it was.

The hormonal conditions most often associated with sleeplessness are:

Low thyroid—or hypothyroidism
Even if you are told that your thyroid levels are normal, they may not be normal for you. Your levels could be on the low end of the standard normal range but still be too low for you. It is imperative that you are tested for a full thyroid panel, not just for TSH (the signaling hormone) as this level constantly fluctuates. If you are taking thyroid medication or iodine, as a precursor to thyroid hormone, do not take it on the day you are tested. Because TSH is manufactured during sleep, you should be tested in the morning after fasting for the most reliable results.

Low estrogen or estradiol
Because of the numerous receptors in the brain, low estrogen levels can cause sleep disturbances and rob you of energy during the day.

Low progesterone
This hormone has a calming effect and is linked to brain neurotransmitters that affect sleep.

Low testosterone
Affecting men and sometimes women, low levels of testosterone can kill your sense of vigor and dampen your zest for life. Testosterone is important for regulating your energy cycle, in which the energy/awake phase is followed by the all-important tired/sleep phase.

Balanced NeurotransmittersThe proper balance of neurotransmitters, serotonin, melatonin, GABA, and norepinephrine is vital to restoring the wake/sleep sleep cycle. It is important to have these levels evaluated along with hormone levels.

Following Through

Mastering the steps outlined in this ten-day plan will take some time. You may already be incorporating some of them into your daily routine. Others will be easy to get the hang of, and some may require more deliberate focus on your part.

Be patient with yourself. Sleep improvement does not happen overnight and will involve some trial and error. Today’s frenzied lifestyle does not promote healthy sleep. It requires a conscious decision to make the necessary changes that will work for you.

Once you begin implementing these changes, you will likely find that your energy is enhanced, your ability to handle stress is improved, and you wake up feeling rested and rejuvenated. You should also experience a lighter mood, less pain, and clearer thinking. Not only will you feel better, you will look brighter and appear full of life.

The sooner you start, and the faster you progress with your new routines, the more improvement you will see—even on a daily basis.

If you find your sleep problems do not improve, consult your sleep specialist or physician for further testing and treatment.

More than anything else, you must respect the gift of sleep. It is a powerful tool that can prevent and reverse many types of physical, mental, and emotional damage. It can rebuild your brain, rejuvenate your body, enhance your memory, balance your hormones, and protect you from harm, injury, and disease.

Sleep Quiz

Take the Sleep Quiz

The sleep quiz is designed to help you determine the extent of your sleep deprivation and to become conscious of the toll it’s taking on your body and mind.

Answer the following questions; not taking into account the effect of any sleep supplements or medication you may be taking.

I have trouble falling asleep within an hour of going to bed
Yes No

I wake up one or more times during the night
Yes No

I have a hard time going back to sleep if I wake up at night
Yes No

I do not feel rested when I wake up in the morning
Yes No

I have problems with memory and concentration during the day
Yes No

I experience fatigue during the day and at times feel exhausted
Yes No

I have to take naps during the day to keep going
Yes No

I feel depressed, irritable, and moody when I have not slept well, even after just one night
Yes No

I have gained weight during periods of sleeplessness
Yes No

Lack of sleep affects my ability to function during the day
Yes No

I cannot seem to turn my brain off at night when I go to bed
Yes No

I get up several times at night to use the bathroom
Yes No

I have more pain in my body when I don’t sleep well
Yes No

Scoring the test: total up all of your YES answers

1-3You are at risk for developing poor sleep patterns, and you should take steps to improve your sleep. – Consider using 1-2 Sleep Supplements at bedtime as needed to calm a busy mine, adjust sleep with stress, and to keep your sleep rhythms for getting into chronic debt. To order Rebalance Sleep click here.

4-7 You are already suffering side effects of sleep deprivation and are most likely considering or getting treatment with medication or supplementation to help you sleep.It is vital that you take your sleeplessness seriously as it is already compromising your physical, mental, or emotional health. Implement the recommended steps in this guide to improved sleep for a healthy mind and body. Begin using the Sleep supplement to get to sleep more efficiently and stay asleep longer with less grogginess in the morning. Click here to order.

8-13 You have a severe sleep problem. Consult your health care provider for evaluation and treatment and consider adding a sleep supplement to your regimen for added support and to break the “sleep debt cycle”. Click here to order Sleep supplement. Don’t disregard the long-term consequences of sleep deprivation, which can adversely affect nearly every area of your life.

SLEEP

The Need for Sleep & How to Get it

If you’re like most people, you respond with laughter when asked if you get the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep at night. You can’t imagine getting even close to that on a regular basis. Sadly, for most of us, eight hours of sleep have become a luxury—precious hours we feel we simply can’t afford to spend in bed.

The reality is that you can’t afford not to. Being stressed, over-stimulated, and excessively hurried puts us at the most risk for lack of sleep. Ironically, we treat the stress by robbing ourselves of sleep, just when our bodies actually need more of it to recover. Adding to the lack of sleep, we eat poorly, worry ourselves sick, stop exercising, forget to breathe, and pretty soon we’re at the end of our ropes. In the long run, we pay a tremendous price for not resting our minds and bodies.

The answer is to give your brain what it needs to fall into sleep. Balancing and boosting SLEEP brain chemicals naturally will help eliminate the pattern of no sleep, or wakefulness. Designed by medical doctors to effectively treat insomnia and restless sleep and used by thousands of patients nightly, order SLEEP NOW and don’t go another night without sleep! (Click here to learn more about Rebalance Sleep)

Fortunately, the restorative power of sleep works like magic and will positively affect everything in your life. A good night’s sleep can quickly help you get back to the balanced state of health you deserve.

If you have sleep problem whether you are struggling getting to sleep or staying asleep – consider starting the Sleep Program available for free on this site.

A good night’s sleep can quickly help you:

Feel your best during the day

Handle stressful situations

Be more efficient

Have a powerful brain

Enhance your mood

Manage your weight

Lower anxiety

Control cravings and appetite

Have endless energy

Lower your pain

Rev up your immune system

Don’t wait any longer… you can’t afford it! Sleep deep tonight and see how your life changes for the better.